Ratchet wrench



A ril 15, 1952 YAVNER 2,592,781

RATCHET WRENCH Filed Jan. 2, 1951 Fig.

. a r lllllll t W Sylvan Ya vner INVENTOR.

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Patented Apr. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RATCHET WRENCH Sylvan Yavner, Norfolk, Va. Application January 2, 1951, Serial No. 203,832

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in ratchet wrenches, and more particularly pertains to a ratchet wrench of the type having a fixed jaw and a retractible jaw that is spring-pressed into operative position, and it is the primary object of this invention to provide a ratchet wrench of this character in which the parts may be manufactured" and assembled at an extremely low cost.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a wrench of this character which may be easily held against slipping from the nut engaged thereby.

A meritorius feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a tapered sliding jaw,

.which in the assembly of the wrench is, to-

gether with the spring, received laterally in the side of the head of the wrench and retained therein by cover plates secured to the opposite sides of the head.

Another important feature of the present invention resides in the simplicity of the various parts used to make-up the complete wrench, and the ease with which these. parts may be assembled so that the wrench may be manufactured at an extremely low cost.

Still another important feature of the present invention resides in the taper of the sliding jaw which not only facilitates the disengagement of the sliding jaw from the .nut, but also serves to retain the sliding jaw in the head of the wrench when the cover plates are in position.

A final important feature of the present invention to be specifically enumerated herein resides in one of the cover plates being provided with a small opening in registry with the space between the jaws that serves to retain the head in operative relation with a nut during operation of the wrench, such cover plate engaging one end of the nut preventing movement of the head of the wrench axially with respect to the bolt on which the nut is threaded.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the present invention;

Figure B is a sectional view taken upon the plane of the section line 33 of Figure 2, this 1 Claim. (Cl. 81-479) view being taken upon an enlarged scale and showing the wrench engaging a nut for turning the same;

Figure 4 is a view similar toFigure 3, however, this view showing the sliding jaw of the wrench in ratcheting position; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken upon the plane of the section line 55 of Figure 3.

Reference is now made more specifically to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, and in which the numeral l0 designates the wrench generally.

The wrench l0 comprises an elongated handle l2 having an enlarged head 14 at one end. The head 14 is preferably fiat and is cut out at one end to provide a nut receiving opening l6 and to define a fixed jaw l8. In addition, the head 14 is provided with a tapered opening or recess 20 that opens into the opening H5 at the side thereof opposite the jaw [8, such opening 20 also opening laterally through the opposite fiat sides .of the head l4.

Slidably received in the opening 20 is a tapered jaw 22, which has a taper complementary to the taper of the opening 20. The inner end of the opening 20 is recessed at 24 and a coiled compression spring 26 has one end seated in the recess 24 to bear against the inner end of the jaw 22 to urge the latter into the position shown in Figure 3, it being noted that the complementary tapering of the jaw 22 and the opening 20 limit outward movement of the jaw 22.

Flat cover plates 28 and 30 are secured to the opposite sides of the head [4 by means of rivets 32 which extend through the plates 28 and 30 as well as the head l4, it being understood that detachable fasteners may be used in lieu of the rivets 32 if desired. Since the opening 20 opens laterally through the opposite sides of the head 14, it is important to note that the cover plates 28 and 30 serve to retain the jaw 22 and the spring 26 within the head l4.

Attention is now directed to Figures 3-5 for an understanding of the use of the present invention. A threaded bolt is designated at 34 upon which is threaded a hexagonal nut, and it will be seen that when the wrench I0 is placed in the position shown at Figure 3 with respect to the nut 36, that is with the jaws l8 and 22 engaging opposite facets of the nut 36, the wrench [0 may be moved in the direction indicated by the arrow 38 to turn the nut 36 in the clockwise direction. It will be noted in Figure"3 that 'by turning the wrench ID in the direction indicated by the arrow 38 that the forces exerted between the jaw 22 and the nut 36 will tend to retain the jaw 22 in the extended or operative position; however, when the wrench I is turned in the opposite direction, that is, the direction indicated by the arrow 48 in Figure 4, the forces exerted between the jaw 22 and the nut 36 will tend to urge the jaw 22 into its retracted position against the action of the spring 26 as shown in Figure l. It will thus be appreciated that when the wrench i0 is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow 40, the jaw 22 will ratchet to permit the turning of the wrench l0 without turning of the nut 36; however, whenever the wrench I0 is again turned in the direction indicated by the arrow 38, the spring 26 will urge the jaw 22 into the position shown in Figure 3 so that the nut 36 may be tightened. It will also be noted that adjacent its outer end, the jaw 22 is beveled at 42 so that upon turning the Wrench H3 in the direction indicated by the arrow 40, the beveled edge 42 of the jaw 22 will be engaged by one of the points of the nut 36 (as shown in Figure 4) to facilitate the retraction of the jaw 22.

Means is provided so that the wrench 58 may be easily held against slipping from the nut 36 during tightening of the same, and during both clockwise and counterclockwise turning movement of the jaw of the wrench it. As clearly shown in Figure 5, the plates 28 and 30 are provided with openings 44 and 46 that are in registry with the opening 16 in the head 14, and it'will be noted that the opening M is of such size as to permit turning of the nut 36 therein while a portion 48 of the cover plate .28 supplements the jaw [8. However, the opening 46 in the cover plate 38 is of a size that will not receive the nut. 36 therein, so that the cover plate 30 may engage the end of the nut 36. It will thus be appreciated upon inspection of Figure that if pressure is continuously .maintained on the wrench 18 that would tend to move the same to the left, such movement of the wrench ill will be prevented by engagement of the cover plate 30 on the nut 36, whereby the annoyance or the Wrench 18 slipping from the nut 36 may be easily avoided.

One of the paramount advantages of the present invention resides in the simplicity of its parts and the ease with which such parts may beassembled to produce a very inexpensive tool. It will be seen that the wrench l0 comprises only the handle l2 having the enlarged head M at one end, the sliding jaw 22, the spring 26, the cover plates 28 and 38, and the rivets 32. Obviously, each of the parts making up the wrench I0 i extremely simple in design and may be easily fabricated. The parts may be easily assembled into the completed wrench by merely placing the spring 26 and the jaw 22 in the head [4, and then securing the cover plates to the opposite sides of the head I4 by means of the rivets 32.

An even simpler construction of the wrench may be obtained, if desired, by reducing the plate 28 in size to dispense with the portion 48, it only being essential that the cover plate 28 extend across the opening 20. Of course, cover plate 30 may similarly be reduced in size if it is desired to further simplify the tool.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily apparent and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the-invention, whatv is claimed as new is:

A ratchet wrench comprising. arhandle, :a :head on one end of said handle, a stationary jaw on the head, said head having a susbtantially .longitudinally elongated recess therein, one of the walls of the recess being inclined toward the stationary jaw, a slidable jaw in the recess cooperable with the stationary jaw for gripping the work therebetween when .in projected position, :and a spring in the recess for projecting the slidable jaw, said slidable jaw including a tapered portion operable on the inclined wall of the recess .ior tightening said slidable jaw on the work as it is moved toward operative pcsitionby the spring.

SYLVAN YAVNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Sweden Aug. 30, .1922 

